I'm a Slacker

I'm Way Behind on Blogging!

   Sorry, everyone! (And by that I mean probably just Mom and Dad.)
   I have been soooo busy with school, Morocco coming up, and of course, traveling that I haven't had the time to blog! I want to really bad and write down everything, but it might not happen until after Morocco. :( I'm going to do my best!

   The real reason I'm blogging is because I couldn't wait to post that I MET LOCALS today!
   I was sitting on a bench in the concrete quad that we have at my university. It's an old military barracks building, so the classrooms are on the circumference of the building and there's a quad in the middle with the cafe-like tables for the cafeteria (it's seating is partly outside) on one end and park benches and other seating all around the edges.
   So I was there and some other students came and sat on the other side of the bench I was on. I said, "Hola" and asked them where they were from and after looking at me like I had 6 heads, they said, "Here" in Spanish. After saying I was from the US and using some bad simple phrases in Spanish, one of the guys turned around and started speaking English to me. (They always do that.)
   Long story short, he is looking for an intercambio and I want friends so it's great! His name is Miquel. We'll see how it goes. I'm so excited to meet some new people, maybe get to know the city better from a local's point of view! (I'm such a dork, I know.)

Vale! (That's Spanish for "Okay.") I gotta go do some homework!

i am. . . busy!!

Needing a Boost of Confidence . . . (and Not the Alcohol Type)

Some Better Spanish Wouldn't Hurt Either

   I walk around the concrete quad in my university, and I want sooo badly to talk to some people. However, I lack confidence in my Spanish - and for good reason. Finding a patient Spanish person to speak to is a crap shoot. Sometimes, people are nice and speak clearly, like a guy I talked to today, asking about the formation of a congregation of people outside the building. Other times, we foreigners get the Mean Girls treatment, with the how-dare-you-think-you-can-just-talk-to-us attitude. I got such an attitude (not to that extent, but I certainly wouldn't call them patient with me) on the train this morning when I tried to make conversation with some students who were obviously from my university. I think they were freshmen. Maybe that was the problem. *claps hands together and makes "hang-ten" gestures with hands* Stupid Freshmen! (Anyone not familiar with HP the Musical, please, don't hurt yourselves trying to figure that reference out.)
   I have an intercambio (conversation partner), but currently, she, Angela, is M.I.A. I emailed her and haven't heard back. I'm gonna wait a bit longer before I resort to Morse code, smoke signals, or flares.
   However, I want to talk to more people on my own, too. Not at a bar or anything. Just to make a friend here.
I've got a little fire in my belly. Maybe it's all the folklore of St. Jordi and dragons or the rebellious and stubborn attitude of the Catalonians that's got me like this. But, whatever it is, gosh darn it, I will talk to them eventually!

   i am . . . determined. That's the Catalan spirit, no?